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Chapter 90 - Fate comes soft-footed and deadly

I hope you can forgive me because I wrote a huge part of this chapter in a rush. I did not expect that I have to write the whole fighting scenes, rather the end of them. I hope you are not angry that they are kinda cut off but I alos think that the fights lasted long enough. Some parts might seem to be more detailed than others, that's just because I wrote those nice parts not in a single night. ^^;

Anlen felt a soft breeze touching her skin, stroking her hair. It was like a fresh morning in summer when dew was still covering the leafs of trees. She smelled the salt of the sea, heard the wind skimming over the waves, felt the sand flowing through her fingers and the sun that shone down on her face. The coast was near, just a handbreadth away. The wind now blew into her ear. Anlen opened her eyes but to her disfavour, she wasn't near the coast, wasn't lying on the beach but in the arms of a sleeping Lione who breathed into her ear. She shrinked back, screamed and pushed Lione away with force causing him to wake up thunderstruck and bump his head against the table. Anlen could not recall the memories from last night. It was as if someone had stolen them, leaving a pitch-black gap behind that yawned in her memory. She stretched herself when she sat up, yawned and looked out of the foamed window. A misty morning broke and the sun made waste effort to get her appearance being realized through the clouds and veil of mist.
"Right", the pirate said as if she would remember something. "We were about to go ashore, weren't we?"

She approached Lione, grasped his wrist and pulled him onto his feet.
"No time for being drippy and unmotivated, Lione", Anlen said and pushed him to the door. "We have to do some preparations before going ashore. I am sure you will have fun on that island."
Lione gulped. He knew that Anlen's taste of fun was definitely not his, moreover he kind of feared for his life.
When the exorcists had stepped through the door, Anlen stopped and her hand caressed her head and neck.
"Strange", she said. "It aches. But why?"

Flames kept on running and running, agony hounding him like a predator chasing his prey. He did not feel very well in the role of the prey, he did not want to accept it but his legs were moving on their own. The exorcist could not even figure out why he was so damn scared. Screams of his friends ranted and raved in his head, accompanied by the continuously shower of arrows. He could avoid an arrow just in time so that it just pierced through a piece of cloth before it exploded. The noise was horrible, dust was blown up and briefly obscured his sight. He tried to stay calm, moderate his breathing but it was almost impossible.
"Almost", Flames whispered and closed his eyes. If he did not act now, his friends would be lost. He had a liability towards his friends, his comrades, the order. The exorcist focused all senses on his surrounding. The forest biting his neck, the enemy in front of him, just seperated by a haze of dust. The veins of the woods were pulsating beneath his feet. He was coming!

Several arrows perforated the haze, drawing a trace of dust through the air before they bored their heads into the ground and exploded. Michael laughed like mad. He was sure of the exorcist's death, so he did not notice the flying object above his head immediately. Flames had managed to use the pressure of the explosion to his advantage, jumped onto a tree just in time before it got ripped up and was carried to the sky by a flying branch. The enemy shrinked back when he saw his prey just meters above his head and obviously still alive and prepared to attack.
"You do not intend to attack me without the power of your Innocence, huh?", he said and a smile appeared on his face. "Do not even try it. You'll fail!"
Michael pointed his bow at Flames but he jumped off the branch before the arrow could hit him and headed towards the Michael in plummet. A fist as hard as iron hit the opponent's head and knocked him out. He had not expected an attack of that sort and had been totally unprepared. Flames sighed. The explosions had caused some burns but the wounds were all superficial, just his right hand was trembling, ostracized by pain. The opponent had a harder head than expected.
"Rough methods are sometimes the better choice, dude."
To his surprise, it caused great amusement to kick the bow down the cliff close to them. Flames breathed again when he saw the bow disappearing in the mist and smiled like a twisty school-boy. But when his look wandered to the camp, it turned serious. Impermeable smoke and a red sky signified the place of doom.

Eny shrinked back, touched her throat. No sound was coming out of it although she had screamed, screamed as if she were alive in hell, surrounded by fire that caused not just simple pain and sorrow. But seemingly she was not the only person who wondered. Amaterasu's grip had loosed, thus had allowed the girl to escape from it. She stumbled to a tree close to her and found hold there. Not a single bird was chirping, not a single branch was creaking, the sound of tumult of the battle had died out.
"Thanks for your great help, little girl."
The voice echoed through the wood like wind. Stressed by silence that embraced Eny and Amaterasu, the voice sounded stronger and more threatening than it actually was. Eny's eyes widened when she looked up because she had seen a shadow moving. Daniel sat on a branch above the girl's head, the legs swinging. His gun was pointed at Amaterasu who stared at the exorcists as if a roach was crouching in the treetop. Since all sound had vanished, it had been impossible for both of them to hear Daniel approaching. Daniel grinned when his finger searched, found and slowly pushed the trigger of his gun. Amaterasu could avoid a direct hit just in time. Nonetheless, the impact was way too huge that the exorcist's attack "Shatter" caused. He had fired all sound he could absorb with his gun at the Noah. Advantaged by Eny's scream and the noise of the battle close to them, the blast was unhuman, even caused Daniel to slide from his branch. But before the Noah could attack anew, he grasped the hand of the shocked girl and pulled her towards the camp.
"Haha, I've never thought that it would cause such a bang. Brilliant", Daniel said when they passed bushes and trees, on the way to most dangerous place around. Eny looked at him puzzled. However, when he noticed her surprised but still shocked face, he answered with a smile. "Don't worry. Someone is awaiting us there."

Magier was stunned. But she was seemingly not the only one affected since she could hear her opponent cursing in every conceivable language. The Noah tried to concentrate on a possible second opponent but within the mess around them, it proved elusive. The darkness caused more unease than Magier had imagined. The sword trembled in her hand and to cover her insecurity, she began to sway it around in rage in order to hit Lyra somehow. She went angrier and angrier with every strike and Lyra seemingly was in real danger now. A tornado of black feathers was about to come up and tear the exorcist apart. Luckily, the unexpected help had noticed the danger just in time and had jumped out of his hideout to save his comrade. His hands touched Lyra's shoulders but before she could shrink back, maybe even try to attack him, Zane revealed his identity, thus calmed the woman. Nonetheless, when he screamed "NOW!", she could not help but starting.
A sudden blast of air separated the two exorcists from the frightful attack of the Noah. Wind was roaring, blew hair fiercely and let leaves whirling through the air. Zane took advantage of this situation and led Lyra to a safer place. While they were running, Lyra after a fashion, her eyesight returned, yet it was still kind of blurred. Nonetheless, the woman glimpsed a girl with wings flying above their heads and landing where they were supposed to stop. It appeared to be Rinvak and the pink-haired exorcist clasped her gladly to her bosom once she recovered full eyesight. She even hugged Eny tightly when she popped up behind them, the hair roughed up by branches and briarwood. Surprised by the sudden warm-hearted welcome, the girl could not defend against it and endured the hug, albeit grudgingly. However, both of them were utterly glad about the friends' appearance and support.
"I knew that you would find us somehow", Lyra said and breathed easily.
"But we won't survive long if this continues on", Eny complained in thoughts of her beloved cat and startled by the seemingly loss.
"Don't worry. We have a plan", Rinvak calmed Eny down.
They were just meters away from where Belle and the strongest of all Noah, Jacque, were fighting. Belles screams and Jacque's laughter echoed behind their back.

Flames flickered, ground bursted. Tents were consumed by fire or torn apart by Jacque's frightful attacks. Belle did not show any weakness yet she was definitely in an inferior position although Jacque did not use even half of his power. Stone bursted asunder, air heating and cooling off almost at the same time. Belle was trapped. Here attacks were of no use against her former ally. She would die, captured purgatorial, experiencing the pain of betrayal. Jacque was no longer the friendly priest she once used to know and like. He had turned into a devil, a wolf in sheep's clothing. She had not been the one who betrayed god but he. He should atone for his sins and not the girl who had and still believed in god, operating just in belief of doing good. Though, her fire was not as hot, not as punishing as the purgatory.

Their eyes were directed at the fight. Sweat dropped down their foreheads, their limbs were stiff, unable to move. Eny, Lyra, Daniel, Zane and Rinvak could just stare at the fights that were taking place around them. Belle in struggle for her life in front of them, Madeline and Uriel as well as Stephanie and her twin sister to their right side. The exorcists were focused on the fights, their thoughts moved around them, advancing into the ally's heads in hope of possible support.
So they did not notice how Flames suddenly appeared behind them, a smile of ease displayed on his face. He leaned onto a close tree in order to rest a little. Just seeing a little group being safely already conveyed comfort.

Blade kind of managed to make his way through the forest. He had to save her, the girl he loved from the bottom of his heart. He could already see the edge of the woods when a quake went right through him. Just seconds later, Stephanie was thrown ungently against a tree close to him and the impact caused it to break to pieces. The female exorcist tried to stand up and looked up in fear when a hand suddenly grasped her arm and pulled her onto the feet. However, her facial expression immediately changed when she recognized the sudden helper. Blade closed his arms around Stephanie, enjoying the soothing feeling of embracing a dear person. Strength, believed to be lost, arose within him.
"Heh, finally reunited, huh", the akuma said, approaching her twin sister and her lover while tightening the ribbons around her arms. "You seemingly wanna die together. How touching."
"Stephanie" seemed to notice that it was a mistake to provoke her sister because she stepped backwards just in time to avoid an attack led by rage. Without time to draw breathe, Stephanie fired another salvo of ribbons, pushing her sister backwards. Yet, every attack the exorcist fired against her twin sister, released unbelievable pain. Her arms were aching, her breath clashing. Coldness conquered her body and every move was a torture. How long could she fight like this?

Magier coughed slightly. Dust had been blown up when the attacks had hit each other. Her eyesight returned, yet a bad feeling arose within her and gifted her with immobility. Even as Magier was angry with herself because she let her prey escape so easily, beaten by a coward ambush, Amaterasu was appearing at the edge of the woods. Magier did not take heed of him when he jumped down a grassy rise and plunked leaves out of his blond hair. The impact that Daniel's gun had caused, had him sent flying into some rambling briars. His face was covered by bloody scars and part of his clothes were ripped. He was too focused on the view Stephanie brought him that he did not notice a shadow lurking through the briarwood.

Madeline stared at the fist of death. If this hit her, she would definitely die. But there was no way to escape, no way to experience god's grace and live, continue to live. Madeline blinked in fear. The face of a person who had betrayed the order was not the last thing she wanted to see on earth. Moments turned into seconds, seconds turned into minutes and minutes into eternity. She believed to hear a lovely sound in the distance. No, it wasn't in the distance. It was everywhere yet nowhere. It filled her head and the mist of fear ran away. Sung by an angel-like voice, it entered her body and revived her soul that had been doomed. Madeline finally was encouraged enough to open her eyes just to see Uriel's arm being wrapped in green ribbons. The boy tried to free from the Akuma's grip but it was useless. He just caused the ribbons to entangle his arm tighter.
"What's the point of this?", Uriel yelled and focused "Stephanie" in an enraged way. But she herself had no idea why she had attacked him thus saving Madeline's life. A puzzled face stared at him. Lyra took advantage of this turn of events and gave Uriel a wide berth. She thanked god for this gift. To her surprise, the gift appeared to be Tabitha who popped up at the edge of the forest, a bright and beautiful self-image close to her. Tabitha did not think twice, grasped Madeline's wrist and ordered Blade to brace Stephanie and follow her. Blade nodded, took Stephanie who was seemingly weakened on his shoulders and left the Akuma behind.
"I can't stop them forever, so hurry", Tabitha shouted and they rushed towards the others who had observed her appearance agape, amazed by the sudden turn of events. But the happy reunion did not go unnoticed.

The smile on Jacque's face rose to a devilish grin.
"Like rats being trapped in the hands of god", he muttered and ungently hit Belle with a clenched hand made of heated air.
The attack carried her off her feet and she bumped into the group of exorcists and Bookmen behind her. She was unconscious. Rinvak, Zane, Daniel and Tabitha began to worry. While the others were approaching each other and desperation drove them crazy, Rinvak and Tabitha were scouring the horizont.
"Where is he?", Rinvak said and sought help in Tabitha's answer. Unfortunately, it did not turn out as expected or rather hoped.
"I-I have no idea. He... he should be here already. We won't be able to escape on the way we had planned when he doesn't appear now. What shall we do?"
The exorcists were trapped. Hope burned, lost, shattered.

Jacque did not notice Magier's unwell feeling, he completely concentrated his attention on the gasping and outworn exorcists. Magier's trembling hand was wandering to her left eye. It ached. The pain dazed her mind causing the surrounding to disappear and vanish in a field of mist. The girl felt sick as if something caused her to get an upset stomach, something she wasn't aware of. A constant tick slowly approached her from beyond the mist. A clockwork alike, it was ponderously and dangerously clicking, driving the female Noah crazy. The sound came from a direction she could not figure out. It was nowhere yet everywhere. When she looked westwards, it seemed to be in the east and when she turned her head towards the north, it approached from the south. The fear choked her and she struggled for breath. Stronger and stronger until every breath of air was like a prick in the chest, an unintended fight, a death agony. Magier was overrun by an unknown fright, unable to defend but equipped with an unpleasant foreshadowing.
A cool draught swirled the haze up and breezed the hair into her face. It softly caressed it but left behind dilated eyes when it swayed back.

The priest's grin displayed his certainty of success when he stepped towards his opponents. But he did not step into victory but war. A desicion was rendered when the last fighter went down and this fighter was called "fate". Every human was a puppet in the hands of the puppeteer whose cords were everywhere and forever linked once they came into contact with each other. "Fate" was a dominant feature of everyone's life, it led steps and never handed over control.
This time, the deliverer of fate was the wind, a storm, a hurricane. Just when Jacque, watched by his brother Amaterasu who enjoyed the sight of fearsome exorcists and their pity supporters, lifted his hand in order to tear them from limb to limb, a wall of dust and dirt arose on his right thus separating the Noah from the exorcists. He shrinked back, surprised by the sudden and unforeseen attack. Dust blew up and curtained the air in a dirty sight for a short period of time. Jacque heard steps from a distance that came closer, gathering speed.
"Jacque! RUUUN!!!"

He turned around just in time to see the point of a sword piercing through the cloud of smoke and mist. But the sword was not alone. Accompanied by its user, another familiar body appeared and joined the priest's baffed look. Blood spread over the ground that was lined by gruesome and merciless battles and a smattering of bloody drops stained his face and the white robe. The girl spitted blood when she brought the suddenly appeared opponent to a halt. But Magier's acting did not go unpunished. She had to offer a sacrifice in order to protect the person she held dear the most. And this sacrifice weighed heavier than expected.
The constant ticking had transfered Magier to a past fight, a battle she had fought long time ago, against a fearsome and hated opponent: an exorcist. The female Noah had intended to run away, escaping from the noise that livened up sorrowful memories but deep in her inner she had known that running away was of no avail and that just fighting was worthwhile. Magier resembled a flower that was withering but would never give in unless the last bloom was gone.
So, she had accepted the risk and protected her brother with the last remaining thing, her life.

The dust finally gave way and clarified the sight, presenting an awful scene. Whereas the exorcists' surprise came along with hope, Jacque and Amaterasu's faces darkened. An unexpected ally had arrived and interferred with the puppeteer.

The bottom half of Magier's sword flew around, streaked Jacque's left cheek and left a little scar behind. This was the only wound he would ever bring out from this bloody fight that had decided over the life of so many. Magier coughed blood while the haft of the sword was trembling in her hand. The impact of the opponent's sword that let hers break into two pieces had been too much for the katana that had already suffered from the former fight with Blade back that time.
"I've never thought of seeing you again...", Magier stammered. "...Zeran, most stupid exorcists I have ever met."
She laughed but it just caused more blood to arose and drip out of her mouth. While Stephanie could just mutter Zeran's name, Jacque was unable to say, even do something. It was as if his sister's blood had cast a damp over his body.
Zeran's sword stuck deep in Magier's chest, deep in her heart. She felt coldness conquering her body and a deadness of limbs once the terrible pain had vanished. The annyoing tick finally disappeared and her eyes tioled to stay open.
The Noah was no longer able to hold the remaining of her precious sword in her hand, it fell down and touched the bloody ground with a clank. The sign of loss.
"How ironic...you pierced through...the only...part...that was left over...from my old life."
With this, the clockwork kept slowing down in operation for the Noah resembling 'regret'. However, her last action did not suffer from regret but was fulfilled with the urge of protecting a dear person.
"May God take pity on you, Noah", Zeran said tersely and drew out the sword.

Magier fell, fell into deep and eternal darkness. She did not feel the ground that ungently bored into her back. The sky passed by her blurred sight. Stars twinkling like the flicker of candle-lights, the moon, a far-off friend in grief and sorrow.
Jacque appeared in the corner of her eye, he approached her but his face displayed fright. His white yet stained priest robe blinded the female Noah. It shone out among all those blurred colours that surrounded and would soon drown her.
Magier's glassy look forced Jacque to his knees. He slightly shuddered when he embedded Magier's pale face in his hands and let her head lean on his lap. Magier lifted her pale, snow-white yet blood-stained, trembling hand and touched the priest's right cheek softly.
"Jac..que...", Magier whispered and left a smudgy trail of blood behind when her hand, strength deprived, sank onto her lap. No life was ever again mirrored in those two-coloured eyes.

Jacque's breath was like ice, refusing to find its way through his throat. The murderer of his sister was standing in front of him, yet he could not move a single finger. Time pulsated, hot tears dropped down the priest's cheeks and caressed those of Magier. He was at her side but could not protect her as he had promised so many times. Though, Zeran did not pity the Noah who was falling into despair right in front of him. The exorcist stepped towards the priest, prepared to tear of his cross-marked head. However, Jacque's look suddenly turned attention to one of Magier's broken sword pieces. A person was reflected in it, a person that did not belong to this fight and appeared like a deadly shadow in front of the bright moon.
Before Zeran could lift his sword anew, an unforeseen and fateful scene took place. Something that nobody had expected, an act led by the devil in person.

A sword, sharper than any other sword on the world, more fateful than the death, pierced through Zeran's stomach. A fountain of blood expanded over the priest and his fallen dearest. The seconds dragged on when Zeran turned around in shock, staring at the face of an avenger called Lucifer whose sword sucked the life out of his body. Drops of blood, every single one as precious as a whole life, were about to abandon the exorcist.
"You are in my way", Lucifer said with a cold voice, drew the sword out of Zeran's stomach just in order to garble the fragile body completely.
Rinvak and Tabitha screamed and tears were dropping down their cheeks, escaping from their eyes, when the arm that had held the sword of justice flew through the air and landed right in front of them.

Zeran fell, fell into the darkness he had sent Magier into. Rinea's smiling face appeared in front of him. The bathing scene, when he had treated her wounds and the countless times where he had to protect her. Her friendly and warm smile blurred, merged together with the twinkling stars, that stared down at him without mercy, and disappeared. He was dead even before he touched the ground and a puddle of blood spread beneath his pale, cold and heavy body.

Rinvak had to raise every effort to hold Tabitha back. If she had wanted to avenge their dear comrade now, every trouble they had went through in order to made an escape possible would had been in vain. No matter how many strength they raised, no matter how many tears they shed, Zeran was dead and would never come back.

"Be prepared to die, Jacque", Lucifer shouted but suddenly stopped in his action. Sweat appeared on his forehead, his body was trembling and fear, could it really be fear?, arose within him. An aura of sadness and hatred had appeared around Jacque and embraced him in a sinister way. Thunderclouds came up and gathered together far above his head.
Death was smiling upon every single one of them in just that moment. Lucifer smelled the upcoming trouble and backed down. He did not want to waste his life, not yet. Amaterasu wanted to approach his brother but it was impossible. Something held him back and he had no power to struggle. Finally, all emotions the priest ever had owned, broke out, revealing his true strength. The ground around him bursted asunder, a storm came up, merged together with his rage and inflamed a dance of deadly blades. Nobody could have been able to harm him or his sister. The exorcists noticed the danger they were in and backed down after they had saved Zeran's Innocence.

Far away in the distance, far away from death and the place where it had attacked, the exorcists collapsed. Nobody could stop the tears, nobody could hinder pain from conquering their souls. They could manage to escape, killed a Noah and a supporter but for what price? Wasn't the loss too high?
The storm calmed down and rain descended upon them. The sky was crying. But god did not mourned for one person only.

His wet hair was adhering to his forehead, his clothes were soaked, stained by blood and the tears of god. The dark aura had disappeared and left behind havoc and sorrow. Jacque's hand was caressing Magier's pale cheek. The only thing the priest wished at that moment was that his sister could feel the affectionate contact, the only thing she had ever wished for in her entire life.

Lione did not expect anything else of Anlen's taste of a funny place yet it was breath-taking. Anlen led Lione through countless alleys and narrow streets, passing by instable-looking houses and drunken men who were lying on the streets, always a bottle of rum in their hands. The cobble-stone pavement led up hills, stairs, around houses, bars, taverns and passed by smelly and sinister crooks. But as soon as they moved on from this place, the streets got brighter, illuminated by candle-lights that twinkled like stars in the sky. Groups of people, all pirates and men who braved the perils of the sea, gathered at the wayside, drinking or listening to the countless musicians that were tweedling and telling stories of the sea. Many stories bent the truth, they were just told for the purpose of entertainment. The view was filled with clapping and drunken people who obviously had a lot of fun. Small brawling took place here and there, smoke and the smell of alcohol escaped from the warmly illuminated taverns and bars where pirates were in the habit of talking about their found treasures, showed them off and transacted business. Moonlight fell onto the narrow streets but was swallowed by the orange-red light of candles that were spread all over the wayside. A cool breeze smoothed the ruffled feelings of some pirates and carried them away, beyond the great sea.
The Akuma guarded Anlen's ship but the human part of her crew had been allowed to sweeten their time in the bars with alcohol and gamble. However, instead of joining her crew as Lione had thought, Anlen kept on passing the tempting places with Lione in tow. They moved on and moved on. Just when the exorcist began to ask himself about Anlen's intention, she pulled him into an abandoned alley that was protected from turmoil, and pushed him against the cold wall. The pirate approached him quite close. He could hear her breath clattering in his ear, her cheek touching his. This action that came out of the blue caused Lione to blush. A strange desire arose within him but before he submitted to it, Anlen began to whisper.
"You have to go", she said and thrusted something into his hand. When he looked down, he caught sight of a map and a compass. Lione's look wandered back to Anlen but she avoided his gaze.
"There's a ship prepared at the southern port. One man is enough to sail it. It will bring you back to Boston, back to your friends. Follow the map and you will be in Boston within three or four days. There are paths indicated which not even the Earl knows of, you have to be careful though. Sail day and night and it won't even take half the time I would need with my ship to reach Boston."

But Lione did not moved. Infected by surprise and worry, he felt paralyzed. A familiar feeling yet not as nasty as back that time when he had been bound to wheelchair.
"But Anlen...", he said. "When the Earl figures out what you've done, he..."
The Noah began to laugh in a sad tone.
"What can happen to me? Isn't living through countless eras all alone punishment enough? Seeing how dear people perish and miserably croak whereas you can, no... have to live on. Now go! If you don't go now, you will never go."
Lione nodded. The grip around the compass and the map tightening, he left Anlen behind in the dark and abandoned alley.
The Noah shortly bit her lip. She did not regret anything and was fully prepared to face the Earl and her siblings when the
time would have been come. But she did not know that this time would come faster than expected.

So, to sum everything up: Magier is dead, Gabrielle is dead, Zeran is dead, Michael and Belle are unconscious. The exorcists could save Zeran's Innocence and escape from the camp.

Now, what had happened: Zeran suddenly woke up. While Riena was waiting at the HQ, he took Tabitha and they managed to keep in contact with Rinvak. using Zeran's sword, they soon caught up with them. Zeran was willed to distract the Noahs and prepare a chance for the others to escape. Unfortuntely, Lucifer who wanna take revenge, interferred with their plans and killed Zeran because he was in his way. Jacque yet released an unknown power, conquered by his feelings etc. Lucifer sensed that it would be his doom if he attacked Jacque so he backed down.

The Innocence will be delivered to Riena. According to AZ, I should kill Zeran (by Lucifer's hand) and the girl shall receive his Innoence.

Re: Chapter 90 - Fate comes soft-footed and deadly

Thanks a lot *bows*
I am glad you like it though I rushed a little and made some mistakes, spelling, grammar...I even wrote "Finders" instead of "Bookmen" ...hell >_<
Will look through it and kill those mistakes now, hehe.